Why the engineering skills shortage is redefining the role of specialist suppliers.

The British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) recently highlighted one of the biggest challenges facing our sector: attracting, developing and retaining the skilled people the UK pump industry needs for future resilience. I agree with that assessment; however, I believe the conversation needs to go further.

From where I sit, the conversation has moved on. The skills shortage is no longer a recruitment challenge. It's reshaping customer expectations, redefining the role of specialist suppliers and changing how engineering services are delivered. Increasingly, customers aren't just looking to hire equipment; they're looking for engineering expertise to compensate for capability gaps within their own organisations. In many respects, the shortage of experienced people has become one of the defining commercial challenges facing the rental sector.

I welcome the Government's recent push for educational reform and renewed emphasis on apprenticeships and vocational training over academia. I’m sure the industry will too, but rebuilding the talent pipeline will take time. University is absolutely the right route for many, but practical engineering careers deserve equal recognition. Our industry has always depended on people with different strengths. Some thrive in academic environments, while others learn by doing, solving problems and gaining experience on site.

Education is one of the greatest investments any society can make, but education doesn't stop when employment starts. In my experience, some of the most valuable learning happens after someone enters the workplace.

Experience is the new transactional skill set.

When businesses recruit experienced engineers, they're not just hiring technical competence. They're investing in judgement, communication skills, commercial awareness and the confidence to solve problems under pressure. Those qualities can't be taught in a classroom or generated overnight. They are earned through years of experience. That kind of experience is difficult to replace and can get lost in the void of the skills gap.

Across engineering, we have an ageing workforce, a relatively small number of young people entering the profession and what I often describe as a missing middle generation. Replacing someone who retires isn't simply about filling a vacancy; it's about replacing decades of knowledge, customer relationships and practical understanding.

That's why apprenticeships remain so important. They don't just teach technical skills; they develop resilience, problem-solving ability, sound judgement and the confidence to work with customers under pressure. Those qualities stay with engineers throughout their careers.

At Carrier Rental Systems, we continue to invest heavily in apprenticeships and work closely with educational programmes to promote engineering as an exciting, rewarding profession. Encouragingly, we're also seeing greater diversity entering engineering than we have historically, bringing fresh perspectives to an industry that benefits enormously from different ways of thinking.

Recruitment, however, is only half the story. Our customers are facing the same skills shortages we are. Whether they're utilities, contractors, manufacturers or facilities teams, they have fewer experienced engineers available internally, yet the demands placed upon them continue to grow. That inevitably changes the role suppliers like us are expected to play.

Increasingly, customers are looking for more than just hiring pumps or temporary equipment. They’re looking for engineering partners who can provide technical advice, remote monitoring, data analysis, proactive maintenance and the expertise to solve problems before they become operational issues.

In effect, many customers are asking their supply chain to provide capability as well as equipment.

I don't see that as a problem; I see it as a natural evolution of the market. Businesses will always look to trusted partners to help fill capability gaps, particularly when resources are stretched. The challenge for suppliers is ensuring we have the people, knowledge and technology to meet those expectations.

Technology doesn’t replace experience

That's where digital technology has an important role to play, although perhaps not for the reasons many people assume. Artificial intelligence, telemetry, connected assets and remote diagnostics are often discussed as though they will replace engineers. I don't believe that. In my opinion, technology is the sticking plaster. It helps bridge the gap created by labour shortages. It allows experienced engineers to focus their time where they add the greatest value. Connected equipment can help identify developing faults and support faster, more informed decision-making. But technology doesn't replace experience; it allows good engineers to become even better.

Our industry has always been built on relationships. Customers may value telemetry, predictive maintenance and real-time data, but when a critical asset fails, or an unexpected challenge arises, they still want to speak to someone they trust. They want an engineer who understands their operation, can interpret the information available and make sound decisions based on experience. That's why knowledge transfer has never been more important.

One of the biggest risks facing engineering isn't simply that experienced people will retire. It's that decades of practical knowledge will retire with them.

Too often, succession planning starts when someone is already thinking about leaving the business. By then, much of the opportunity to pass on what they've learned has already been lost.

Years ago, apprentices naturally worked alongside experienced engineers. They didn't just learn how equipment operated; they learned how to approach customers, diagnose unfamiliar problems, prioritise under pressure and make sensible decisions when there wasn't an obvious answer. Those lessons rarely appear in training manuals, yet they make the difference between a good engineer and an outstanding one.

If we're serious about tackling the skills challenge, we need to become far more deliberate about creating those opportunities again. That means pairing experienced engineers with younger colleagues, giving apprentices meaningful responsibility and recognising that developing people requires long-term investment rather than quick fixes.

Attracting people is only half the battle; keeping them matters just as much. People stay where they can develop, feel trusted and know their contribution matters. That ultimately comes down to culture.

Competitive salaries and good benefits are important, but so is creating an environment where people continue learning throughout their careers. Engineering is constantly evolving, whether that's through new technologies, changing legislation or increasing customer expectations. Businesses that invest in continuous development will always be better placed than those that see training as something that only happens at the beginning of someone's career.

Looking ahead, I believe our industry will become increasingly service-led.

The organisations best placed to succeed will be those that combine engineering expertise with digital capability, strong customer relationships and a genuine commitment to developing their people. That's true for rental businesses, manufacturers, contractors and, increasingly, for our customers themselves.

The BPMA is absolutely right to highlight the importance of rebuilding the engineering talent pipeline. I would simply add that this is about far more than filling vacancies. The skills shortage is changing how engineering businesses operate, how customers buy services and what they expect from specialist partners. That presents challenges, but it also creates opportunities.

Engineering has always been about solving problems. Today's challenge happens to be people rather than products, but the principle is exactly the same. If we continue investing in apprenticeships, transfer knowledge before it's lost and embrace technology as a tool rather than a substitute for experience, we'll build a stronger, more resilient industry.